Chapter 10

大学英语Chapter10， Constitution takes precedence over all state constitutions and laws, and over laws made by the U.S. Congress

Chapter 10

• Constitution
  • be drawn up in 1787
    • nothing was mentioned about the rights of individuals
  • came into effect in 1789
  • two obvious characteristics
    • "checks and balances"
      • the legislature
      • the executive
      • the judiciary
    • specifies the respective powers of the federal government and of the state government
  • Bill of Rights
    • the first 10 amendments were created in 1791
  • 27 amendments have been added since 1789
  • takes precedence over all state constitutions and laws, and over laws made by the U.S. Congress
• Government
  • three main principles
    • federalism
    • the separation of powers
    • respect for the Constitution and the rule of law
  • Legislature
    • Congress
      • the legislative branch of the federal government
      • the law-making
      • the supreme legislative body
      • consists of two houses
        • the Senate
          • 100 voting members, two from each of the 50 states
          • may be reelected for an unlimited number of six-year terms
          • over 30 years old
          • a resident in the state which they represent
          • have been a U.S. citizen for at least nine years
        • the House of Representatives
          • 435 voting members
          • six non-voting representatives
          • at least 25 years old
          • a U.S. citizen for at least seven years
          • serves for a term of two years
      • main function
        • to pass laws for the Union
  • The Executive
    • consists of 15 departments and many independent agencies
    • the department heads form the Cabinet
    • the President
      • manage national affairs and the working of the federal government
      • controls American foreign policy
      • holds significant influence in law-making
      • influence the decision of the federal courts
      • • must be a natural-born American citizen
        • at least 35 years of age
        • a resident of the United States for at least 14 years
        • serve two successive four-year terms
    • the Cabinet
      • is made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments
      • appointed by the President
      • and confirmed by the Senate
  • The Judiciary
    • the Supreme Court
      • the highest court of the United States
      • one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices
      • major powers
        • to interpret laws
        • to hear appeals from any federal court cases
        • to hear appeals from state court cases that involve the Constitution or national laws
        • may declare a law unconstitutional
        • may declare a presidential act unconstitutional
    • the courts of appeals
      • share the burden of the Supreme Court
      • under the Supreme Court
    • the district courts
• Political Parties
  • The Democratic Party
    • 1790s
    • In the 1830s, the party adopted its present name.
  • The Republican Party
    • 1854
• Election
  • only the candidates nominated by the two majorparties, the Republican and the Democratic, have the chance to win a presidentialelection
  • The total number of electors in the nation is currently 538
  • they compose theUnited States Electoral College(总统选举团).
  • "winner-takes-all" practice
• Foreign Policy
  • Neutrality
    • the Declaration of Neutrality
  • Containment and Intervention
    • The Shanghai Communique(《上海公报》) established a new U.S. policy that there is one China, that Taiwan is a part of China.
    • The Berlin Wall fell in 1989
    • the Soviet Union broke into several independent countries in 1991
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